Earn CME and Make Sure Your Practice Is Prepared for an Emergency

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Winter storms are coming and a great reminder to review disaster plans for your practice. Results from a spring 2014 emergency preparedness survey show sizable gaps in emergency and surge planning. The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics Pennsylvania Chapter, Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, and the Center of Public Health Readiness and Communication at Drexel University School of Public Health to provide education and resources to Pennsylvania providers.

Emergency Preparedness and Primary Care
Mini-Webcast CME Series
Earn up to 3 credit hours

Session 1: Roles of primary care physicians in disasters and importance of preparedness
Recorded Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015; click above link for the archive.
Download the PowerPoint from Session 1.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to describe specific roles and responsibilities of primary care professionals in community-wide response during public health emergencies.
  2. Participants will be able to explain the need for practices to have plans that provide for continuity of practice operations, safety of supplies, and patient preparedness.

Session 2: Risk and hazard vulnerability assessment for medical practices
Recorded Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015; click above link for the archive.
Download the PowerPoint from Session 2.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to assess the hazards to which their practice is most vulnerable.
  2. Participants will be able to describe the impact of hazards on service delivery and strategies to mitigate or respond to those hazards.

Session 3:  Planning for disasters – key elements of business continuity planning for medical practices
Recorded Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015; click above link for the archive.
Download the PowerPoint from Session 3.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to list the important components of continuity of operations planning.
  2. Participants will be able to describe strategies for maintaining practice operations during disasters that disrupt infrastructure, supplies, staff availability, or utilities.

Session 4: Evaluating the practice emergency plan – training and drills
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015; click above link for the archive.
Download the PowerPoint from Session 4.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to describe methods to test or evaluate their practice emergency plan.
  2. Participants will be able to explain different types of exercises that can help to assess the effectiveness of the practice emergency plan.

Session 5: Communicating with patients – using voicemail, websites, and social media
Recorded Wednesday, Jan. 28; click above link for the archive.
Download the PowerPoint from Session 5.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to describe their role as risk communicators for patients during disasters that impact the health of the public.
  2. Participants will be able to identify ways to maintain communication with patients during emergencies.

Session 6: Preparing patients with special health care needs for emergencies
Recorded Thursday, Jan. 29; click above link for the archive.
Download the PowerPoint from Session 6.
Download the Checklist for People with Special Health Care Needs.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to identify specific problems that patients with special health care needs may face during major disasters that disrupt community infrastructure and business continuity
  2. Participants will be able to describe measures that patients with special needs may take to prepare for disasters

Accreditation statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the Drexel University School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Pennsylvania Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation statement
The Pennsylvania Medical Society designates this enduring material for a maximum of 3.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physician should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Activity Development Team

  • Esther Chernak, MD, MPH, FACP (Faculty and Planner)
  • Mike Fraser (Planner)
  • Angie Halaja-Henriques (Planner)
  • Thomas Hipper (Planner)
  • Jillian Nash (Planner)
  • Suzanne Yunghans (Planner)

The members of the Activity Development Team have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

This program was supported by the Cooperative Agreement number U90TP000545-03, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Expiration date – 12/31/17